World News
Above: Von Drehle is the first tissue maker in the USA to produce tissue with Valmet’s Advantage NTT technology
AMERICA Von Drehle starts-up USA’s first NTT line Von Drehle Corporation has successfully started up its First Advantage NTT tissue production line at its Natchezbased mill. It is the first tissue maker in the USA to produce tissue with Valmet’s Advantage NTT technology. The line has a width of 2.6m, and a speed of 2,000m/min in plain mode and 1,800 m/min in textured mode. The scope of delivery comprised a complete tissue production line including an Advantage NTT 100HS tissue machine. It is equipped with an OptiFlo headbox and a cast alloy Yankee cylinder and features the Advantage tissue technology including an AirCap hood and a SoftReel L reel. Von Drehle Corporation was established in 1974 and is based in Hickory North Carolina, USA. It currently operates tissue mills in Cordova, Maiden, Memphis and Las Vegas, producing towel, tissue and dispenser products for the AfH market in North America.
ST Tissue invests in “widest Steel Yankee” ever manufactured ST Tissue has invested in “the widest Steel Yankee ever to be manufactured”,
according to supplier Toscotec. The Franklin, Virginia-based mill will convert its F-5 machine to produce bathroom tissue and kitchen towel; Toscotec will rebuild the dry-end section and redesign the machine to convert it to dry crepe tissue. Its current paper machine configuration consists of a forming section, nip-press section, dryers section and Reel drum and will be converted to dry crepe tissue machine keeping the existing fourdrinier. The nip-press section will be redesigned to a felt run arrangement that includes new Toscotec dry end equipment. Scope of supply includes TT SuctionPressRoll-SPR1045, an under machine broke pulper TT MachineBrokePulper-MBP75, and a TT SYD-12FT x 257” face width (6,530mm), which Toscotec said is the widest Steel Yankee Dryer ever manufactured. The conversion is part of a series of investments that ST tissue is implementing in response to customer demand. Founded in 2007, ST Paper & ST Tissue operate in Oconto Falls, WI and Isle of Wight, VA.
Bedford Paper invests in retail and AfH production capacity Bedford Paper has invested in a tissue converting and packaging line for its facility in De Pere, Wisconsin. Supplied by PCMC, start-up is expected in 2017 and will increase the company’s production of retail and AfH small bath
tissue and towels. The line will feature PCMC’s Forte Ultra high-speed rewinder and XF wrapper, as well as the Omnia and MultiPacker. Bedford Paper is located in De Pere, Wisconsin, and it manufactures tissue paper products for the AfH and AtHome markets. Its product offering includes single roll bath products, household towel, jumbo bath, hardwound towel and centerpull towel.
Sofidel America to boost capacity with NTT purchases Italian tissue giant Sofidel is to start-up two Valmet-supplied Advantage NTT 200 machines at its site in Circleville, Ohio. Each line will have a width of 5.5m, a speed of 2,000m/min and a production capacity of 70,00tpy. Start-up for the first line is expected by the first quarter of 2018 and the second within the third quarter of 2018. The site is currently under construction and once up and running the two lines will produce conventional tissue and textured paper. Chief executive Luigi Lazzareschi said: “With the implementation of the two new Valmet NTT machines, we will increase our production capacity in the United States significantly. “This is a necessary and vital step in our growth strategy. This decision is also consistent with Sofidel’s unwavering focus on the most innovative and highperformance technologies.”
TISSUE WORLD magazine January/February 2017
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